What's going on with the I-81 rebuild project?

A view of Interstate 81 in Syracuse, facing southeast from the Geneva Tower at SUNY Upstate Medical University, on June 26, 2014.

(Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- For months, engineers have been examining potential costs of options for rebuilding Interstate 81 in Syracuse and the impacts on existing buildings, New York state Transportation Commissioner Matt Driscoll said.

That work is not expected to wrap up until late summer.

So Driscoll, the head of the state Department of Transportation, said Thursday that he can't predict what option will emerge as the one he recommends.

A 3.75 mile elevated stretch of the highway through Syracuse, from Colvin Street to Hiawatha Boulevard, is expected to reach the end of its useful life in 2017. Replacing that part of the highway is expected to cost more than $1 billion.

Knock down the elevated span and reroute through traffic around Syracuse on Interstate 481. Interstate 690 could also be used to reroute traffic.

Dig a tunnel to replace the viaduct.

A no-build option that the state is required to consider. This would involve just continuing to do routine maintenance on the existing highway.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo included $15 million in his proposed 2016-17 state budget to pay for the engineering and consulting work being done on the project, Driscoll said.

Driscoll said DOT will issue a draft environmental impact statement by the end of the year that spells out in greater detail the costs and impacts of the options.

More public meetings will be scheduled following that so that the people can see DOT's work, he said.

Eventually, Driscoll said he'll recommend an option to the governor, and the state will forward its favored plan to the Federal Highway Administration. The FHWA, which is expected to provide about 80 percent of the funds for the project, will have the final say.

"To me, it's more than just a highway project," said Driscoll, a former mayor of Syracuse. "I want to see how the construction of any of the project options can benefit differently the region."